Triarchic Psychopathy Measure: Convergent and discriminant validity in a correctional treatment setting

The standard measure of assessment of psychopathy in forensic and correctional settings is the Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R), an observer-rating instrument assessing 4 facets of psychopathy: Interpersonal, Affective, Lifestyle, and Antisocial. The relatively new triarchic model of psychopathy, in contrast, consists of 3 factors: Boldness, Meanness, and Disinhibition measured with a self-report questionnaire, Triarchic Psychopathy Measure (TriPM). The evidence for the utility of the TriPM questionnaire in forensic or correctional settings is still scarce. Therefore, the current study was conducted to examine the convergence of the TriPM questionnaire with the PCL-R and interpersonal psychopathic behavior ratings based on the Interpersonal Measure of Psychopathy in a sample of German adult male prison inmates undergoing a correctional treatment (N = 152). To test the construct validity with external criteria, measures for impulsiveness and self-efficacy were used. Overall, the results were rather equivocal regarding the validity of the TriPM. The TriPM Boldness scale was not significantly correlated with the PCL-R but only with the Interpersonal Measure of Psychopathy Grandiosity and Self-Efficacy. The TriPM Meanness scale and Disinhibition were strongly correlated and showed a similar correlative pattern with the PCL-R Lifestyle and Antisocial facets. Thus, the construct coverage of the TriPM and the added value for measuring psychopathic traits using the TriPM in correctional settings remains inconclusive. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).